AVI-8 was a brand that first caught my attention when wandering through the halls of Baselworld in between appointments. Back then, I hadn’t heard of the maker before, but their watches had such intricate details, that I was simply drawn me to their stand. With their focus on historic military aviation, AVI-8 loads their timepiece with intricate details inspired by this. This combined with their rather pleasant price point, the watches make for a nice entry into the watch world for a novice enthusiast or a fun addition to the collection of a more seasoned collector.
The Farley Multifunction Hawker Harrier Night Sky is, despite its rather long name, a good example of this. It is named after Hawker Harrier test pilot John Farley, explaining three of the words in its name. Night Sky refers to the color combination of the watch, with its dark-toned case and bezel combined with a matching dial, strap, and buckle. The word ‘Multifunction’ relates to its combination of complications, including a date, retrograde second timezone, and 24-hour display. With its 44mm in diameter, the AVI-8 is a bold statement, but it cleverly disguises its size with the dark-toned theme and captivating dial.
As I am not an aviation expert, my knowledge of the Hawker Harrier doesn’t exceed the fact that it can take off and land both horizontally and vertically. The dial is inspired by the plane’s instrument panel, and the amount of details is staggering. A frame over the movement seems to be placed, providing a significant amount of depth. Screws give the impression that this is how it is connected to the rest of the watch. While not functional, it looks fun. The complications are set as instruments on the dial. The date is done in a particularly nice way, highlighting the current one and showing some of the past and future dates through a semi-transparent insert in the dial. Even though the date wheel is rather deep, I found that the date is very legible and easy to read.
The same can be said of the retrograde display for the second timezone placed at six o’clock. It’s four faux screws and detailed surroundings make it a charming combination of form and function. I equally like the 24-hour display at nine o’clock, but given its size, it is a bit harder to read. AVI-8 also got creative with the hands, and the red details stand out nicely against the monochrome theme of the watch. I only wished they had made the seconds hand just a bit longer, as I always like them to hit the railroad track surrounding the dial.
It can come as no surprise that for the $250, AVI-8 is asking for this Hawker Harrier, it is fitted with a quartz movement. No thrills there, apart from accurate timekeeping, and the brand is also hiding the movement behind a closed caseback featuring the logo of this model. That is done with quite some detail and has a pleasant amount of depth to it, but not so much that it is uncomfortable on the skin. Straps are usually where lower prices watches show their true colors, but not with this one. The genuine leather strap is surprisingly supple, given its thickness and features stitching in two colors, matching the theme of the watch. It, therefore, seems to be designed particularly for this timepiece rather than simply ordered from a supplier. The buckle is robust and matches the rest of the watch, including a detailed engraving of the AVI-8 logo. In-theme packaging completes the experience, making the Farley Multifunction Hawker Harrier Night Sky quite a fun bang for your buck.
For more info, visit AVI-8, here.
“Fun” is the operative word here. In a world steeped in social justice claptrap, fun is getting harder to come by. The dial is entertaining and the colors jibe pleasantly. Nice strap too. Go AVI-8.